Excavating and truck loading machine



April 25, 1944;

R. A. BECKWITH EXCAVATING-AND TRUCK LOADING MACHINE Fiied Feb. 1, 1945 3sheet's sheet 1 April 25, 1944. R. A. BECKWITH 2,347,455

EXCAVATING AND TRUCK LOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1943 s Sheets-She et2 I @Mwe April 25,1944. R. A. BECKWITH Tia? 7 A A A7 451: 452 45k I :5Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES" 2,347,455 yEXCAVATING meeir' mnsnee MACHINE Raymond A; Beckwith, Milwaukee;wet-asset; to Koehr'ing Company, Milwaukee, wisua c'l"-" porationApplication February 1, 194s;- s'er"ia11-io'. 474133 4 6 Claims; (01. 214- -78) The purpose of this invention has'been to devise a special typeof excavating and loading ma chine utilizing the principle-of digging orexcavating incident to the employment-of commonly; known-powershovelsflbut capable .of loadingthe' excavated materials into'a'reserv'oir bin or body, which, ,whenfilled' with a-sufiicient quantityof thematerials, may be dumped'in' one operation to fill a truck 01'other vehicle'brought alor'igside the machine for carrying o'ff the dirtor'exc'avated' material to a place'ofuse, such as a fill, or the" like.

As is wel1-lmown-in the' operation of ordinary shovel excavators of thedipper type for loading dirt carrying-0E trucks or vehicles,- it isrequired that the truck remain-alongside theexcavator until the dipperof the latter has beenoperated a number oftimes'to dig into anddeliverto the truck a numberbf dipper'loads for filling the" latter.

Whenthe truck isfilled; the dipper maygb'e idle -for-a--short period,while the truck is'driven away; and a second-truck is brought'intoposition to receive: the material'to'be excavated by the" dipper. Theforegoing Iriodejof operation obvieously'creat'es timelosses'that'reduce the operat; ing efiicien'cy' of both the excavatingmachine and the truck vehicles thatcodperate' withythe latter, inthe'mannerfstatedg' M By the improvements ofth",presentinventionli availingof the dipperto'crowd' intoland thus ;eX- cavate and elevate the',earthf materials; along. with a reservoir of storage bin, itwiubeiapparefit that the excavating dipper mayfopefate'practicallycontinuously in loading the ,binfcarri ed by the xcavator itself,and'me'ans are availed e f-for tilting or dumping 'the' bin very quicklyinto a truck brought alongside of the machine or posi tioned at the rearthereof, so that practically the only lag in the digging operation ofthe machine is I when the storage bin is filled enoughtq deliver itscontents in one batch sufiiciently to fill the truck. Indeed, undercertain conditions of operation of: the machine, the dumping of thestorage bin may be performed so quickly, while the excavating shovel ordipper is working with its excavating function, that the abovementioned. lag may be almost reduced as to the time. factor as tobe'practically-negligible. A

Another feature of the improvements of the invention comprises meansformounting of {tistorage bin and for effecting the dur npi H thereof, suchthat the said bin may ,di ectits .l contents into a truck disposedateith'er-ohthe sides :o f the excavating machinegor inthe rear"thereof. v, 4

It? is:'contemplatedzthattithe storage bin, fur

thermore, mayf;be ofsuificient-sizethat it may contain enough excavatedma'terials "to' be'lo'aded into more than one truck soitha't if thetrucks are movedupto the rexcavatorfa'st enough they can- .beloadedwith: great frequency, and the eit cavator, shovelor dipperkeptiworking"practically continuuouslyin-replenishing the materials iiithe storage bin.

a; preferred embodiment: the-invention is certain control mean'SI-Figure 5 is "a fragmentary top plan View of Figures 6 and v arediagrammatic views ,of'tiije' various drives whereby th various'ihistruni'entali- 1 ties comp'risingxth :ma'chin'e are operated;

Describing"myimachine"specifically; ent re;

ferring; parti'cularlyto Figure f1'of "the dr'aw in said machine;comprises a body,eincludin'g* a ba frame A and superstructiire B'h'aving at one e and supported "up-on thebase'A; and A- fr r' generallydesignated-Q and composed of spat d sidesj A I r The body of the machineii's"supp'orted "up any conventional type of crawlers,generally dsignated D, providing-thenecessary-traction and Carried by the baseAtorrth'e body' are spaeed dipper sticks; or. arms :2, oneiat each'side' of the fihe b eba l. hannel i i a i u e- 3.. ran av t-s d rssherm 4s he a t r are; moved; for-.

e rd c t yin with; th m jtheexcavatin Ldip:

PIE. ..h r.ward; ed e? of the r a in f ctio pon per; and ead n dipper- Ewi xc ting'iaction l seidu orwar edge.beingt equipped with' diggingteeth 6, or a rear sprockets 8, and front sprockets 9, the frontsprockets 9 being carried on front sprocket shafts l and the rearsprockets 8 upon rear sprocket shafts ll.

Suitable mechanism to be later, described is availed of for reversiblyactuatingthe sprocketchains 1, and the said sprocket chains areconnected at their upper laps to the lower portions of the actuatingmembers or slides 3'so-that back and forth movements of the upper lapsof the chains I will impart corresponding back and forth,movementsit'o'f'the dipper? E, a forward movement, usually known ascrowding or-digging in the art of excavatingrmachines, and a rearward orretractive movementfoften referred toras a racking-in movement inrespect to ordinary dipper excavators...

The dipper E, for performingits loading func- 1 tion, is intended to beraised and lowered, raised inorder to be elevated a'isuflici'entdistance'such that the rear end of the'dipper designated E and which isopen, may form a chute for enabling the discharge of materials loadedinto the dipper,

rearwardly therefrom into a suitable stora'ge'bin to be later described.

,Itwill-thusbe seen that the dipper E partakes of. afunction of. aloading skip, as known in the art of concrete mixing machines forinstance,

wherein aggregate materials are emplaced-in askip when disposed .onthegroundlevel and the latter is raised so as to discharge its contentsfrom the end opposite, the ..receiving end into'a suitable receptacle,such as' a'mixing drum.

'For. the elevating of the excavating dipper'E,

I provide any suitable means, that illustrated including a drum shaft I2mounted on the sides I of the A-frame C, at a point oppositeapproximately the uppermost portion-oi the superstructure B ofthemachine body. ,Theidrum shaft l2 after described is employed forturning the shaft P [2- carrying-said drums l3.

.On top of the-superstructure B- of the body of the machine, I provide"aturntable l8 equipped on its underside with a ring gear l9, somewhatafterithe manner'of construction of-certaintypes of turntables usedon"excavating cranes. turntable I8 is supported by rollers 2iJ-adapted toroll upon a suitable ring-plate or track ontop of" the superstructureB.- Carried by 'the turntablei [Brand pivotally'attached thereto at 21is the s'torageor reservoir bin 22 designed to receive and holdaquantity of excavated materials, at

least sufficient to completely fill afr'iordinary dirt The' haulingtruck, by whichthe materials'will be carried-out to a place of depositafter excavation by my machine. If desired, the bin 22 may be largeenough to carry a quantity of materials to fill one or more trucks,within the purview of my invention.

The bin 22 has angular rear corners, as shown at 22a, see Figure 2, andis closed at its inner end, pivoted near its outer end, and open at itsouter end, so that materials may be discharged from or through the openend of the bin when the latter is tilted upon its pivots 2| into thedotted line position generally illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

For the purpose of tilting or dumping the bin 22, hydraulic jacks or anymechanical moving .instrumentalities may be employed. Hydraulic jacks 23are shown as used preferably being pivotally connected at their upperends at 24 to the side portions of the bin inwardly of the pivots 2i,and being pivotally connected at their lower ends at 25 to the turntableI8, which supports. the bin and with which the bin moves rotatablywhenthe turntable itself is rotated.

For supplying a pressure fluid to the lowerends of the hydraulic jacks23, flexible conduits: 26 may be used, leading to a conduit or pipe 21,.in the lower portion of which is located a controli valve 28 of anysuitable rotary type. Pressure; fluid is supplied to the conduit or pipe21, and! thereby to the conduits 26 from a pressure tank; or reservoir29, which in turn is supplied with the pressure fluid by means of a pump30. The pump 30 is connected to the tank 29 by the pipe 3!, and the tank29 connected to the control valve casing 28 by the pipe 32 leading froma. branch pipe 33 that extends from the tank 29 to a relief valve 34,the casing of which in turn is connected to the control valve 28 by apipe 35.

.An operating lever 36 is connected by a link 31 to an actuating lever38 having a handle 39 at the operator's station, or seat, provided onthe machine body. By pulling or pushing the handle 39', the operator ofthe machine may at will cause the pressure fluid or medium to pass fromthe tank 29 to the hydraulic jacks 23, and thereby effect dumping actionof the bin 22; also, manipulation of said handle 39' may be resorted toto cut off supply of the pressure fluid or medium to the jacks 23 andthen the bin 22 will gravitate to its normal horizontal position, fromits 1 "inclined dumping position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.Obviously, the jacks 23 may be hydraulic or air jacks dependent upon thekind of pressure fluid desired to be used.

As seen in Figure 1, in dotted lines, a portion of the load receivingtruck is designated F and located at the rear end of the machine. Whenthe bin isin the'full line position of Figure 1, it may be dumped intothe truck F thus located. If, however, the terrain is such or thefacilities for disposing the trucks to be loaded by the machine sorequire, the trucks may be driven up to the machine at either sidethereof, under which conditions, the bin 22 may be turned within aninety degree angle sidewise of the machine, so that it Will dump intoside located trucks instead of rear located trucks. 'For this purpose,thereis employed a vertical swing shaft 39 mounted in the superstructureor body of the machine. This swing shaft carries at its upper end, abovea jaw clutch 3912, an intermediate swing pinion 40, meshing with asecond swing pinion 40a, which in turn is connected by a shaft 40b to aswing pinion 40c, meshing with the ring gear l9. This and other of thedrive gearing will be explained more fullyhereinafter in reference toFigures 6 and 7..

'39 by which-the turntable I8 is rotated with the bin 22, willbe'described hereinafter.

Near the rearend of the body of the machine. or at the rear ofthesuperstructure B, is mounted.

a suitable power plant or engine 4|, comprising a drive shaft 42connected by-a sprocket chain 43, with a large sprocket gear 44 upon adrive shaft 45, extending crosswise of the machine. manner, the shaft 45may be operated from the engine and said shaft carries at the endopposite that havingthe sprocket 44 a sprocket gear connected by a chain46 with a relatively large sprocket gear 41 on a countershaft 48. Inturn, the countershaft 48 has a small sprocket connectedby a chain 49with a sprocket gear 58 on the drum shaft l2, whereby throughthe'various sprocket chains just. described, power may be. carried tothe shaft 12 for driving the same in one direction, namely, for thewinding action of the drums [3 for elevating the dipper E. Said dipperis adapted to be returned from its elevating.

position by gravitation, facilitated, if desired, by the simultaneousretractionof the arms 2, to the lowered position. under the control ofsuitable brake means, conventional in the art.

Suitable clutchmeans may be employed on the shaft 48 to carry. the drivefrom said shaft 48 to the drums IS. The shaft 48 is connected by asprocket chain to a sprocket gear 52 on the shaft [0, which is connectedwith the sprocket chains 1 that move the dipper arms 2 back andv forthin their excavating and retracting operations.

The means for driving the crawler chains D' of the crawlers D will nextbe described.

The diagrammatic showing of the various gear trains and driving meansrepresented by Figures 6 and '7 are referred'to in order to set forththe manner in which the drives form the engine. to the hopper body andto the endless traction means are accomplished.

In Figure 6, drive shaft 45 is provided with a well known type ofreversing gear train 45a, the said gear train. being provided withfriction clutches adapted to be operated in any well known manner. shaft45 is the same shaft which provides power for the raising and loweringof the dipper E as well as the thrust and retraction thereof.

However, describing more particularly the means for rotating the hopperbody, it will be noted that the gear train 45a is adapted to operate ashaft 4% on which a pinion 45c engages a gear 45d to operate a bevelgear 45c and thereby effect rotation of the shaft 39 through a secondbevel gear 45/. The shaft 39 is provided adjacent its upper end, aspreviously mentioned, with a jaw clutch 3% adapted to selectively engagea mating member on a gear 40, the said gear 40 in turn meshing with asecond gear 48a on a shaft 48b, the shaft carrying adjacent its upperend a gear 400 adapted to engage the ring gear l9, whereby the hopperbody is rotated.

Passing now to the means for driving the endless traction supportingmeans, it will be noted that the same gear train 45a is availed of,whereby the shaft 451) is adapted to rotate a gear 45g engaging one of apair of gears on a shaft 450. as determined by movement of a jaw clutchmember 45h, in order to provide high and low speed drive to the tractionsupporting means. The shaft 450 is provided at one end with a beveledgear 451' adapted to mesh with a large bevel gear 457' whereby asprocket 451:: may im- In this.

It will be noted that this drive,

part movement through the sprocket chain 45m toadditional sprockets 4511connected in well knownmanner with the traction supporting; means. Thegears 457 and 4510 are mounted on a cross shaft 45-| so as to eifect'adrive toboth of the-traction supporting means in'accordance with wellknown practise;

The shaft 4"5---I"may be provided with brake" and clutch mechanism for.steering, such as is; shown in the Brey. Patent. No. 1,947,823,v issuedFebruary 20, 1934". This mechanism is not illustrated, since it is wellknown and suitable for incorporationinto this machine by thoseeskilledintheart.

General operation of machine It is contemplated that the machine ofmyinvention shall be advanced under power and steered by the operationof any suitable mechanism, an exemplification of which has been:presented hereinbefore.

The power used will be that of an engine or motor carried .by the base Aof thebody of the machine, and indicated at 4|, as before described. 7When the machine is at the point of excavation, the dipper or scoop Ewill be operated forwardly in engagement with the earth at the groundlevel or in advance of the machine, or. in engagement with the face ofabank which. is to be dug out.

The operator, by actuation of' suitable-control. levers, will causeactuation of the chains 1 to move the arms 2 forwardly, and at thesametime, the. operator may effect the desired upward or elevating movementof the skip E through theoperation of the cable drums l3. In thismanner, the dipper E willbe crowded to its work and elevated, and when asufficient load has been received therein, the raising movement of thedipper will be compelled sufilciently to carry it to an approximatelyvertical position sothat its. load will be discharged through its rearopen end E" into the bin 22 which bin may be disposed longitudinally ofthe machine laterally or intermediate positions dependent upon thelocations where the truck or trucks to receive the loads of material inthe bins are to be disposed.

Obviously, owing-to the large capacity of thebin 22, the excavatingdipper E may be kept working filling up the bin 22 and creating thereina sufficiently large load of materials so that when a truck is locatedadjacent. to the bin to receive the materials, said bin may be tilted toits dumping position to discharge its contents into the trucksufficiently to completely load the latter in one operation of bindumping.

Thereupon, after the bin 22 has been dumped, it will be restored to itsload receiving position. Having in view the foregoing, it will be clearthat the dipper E may be kept practically continuously in operation. Theonly time the dipper can not discharge its contents into the bin is whenthe latter is in dumping position, but since this last mentionedposition is assumed only momentarily, there will be practically littleor no interruption of digging and loading operations of the dipper orshovel E.

The foregoing method of operation is especially advantageous for reasonspreviously suggested in that the machine can keep supplying trucks withfull loads by single dumping operations of the bin 22, and the operationof the dipper E does not have to be discontinued to any material extentso far as its excavating and dumping functions are concerned by reasonof adjacent to the machine, while the trucks are traveling up to themachine and traveling away from same.

If the capacity of the bin 22 is suificiently large to supply more thanone truck by consecutive single dumping operations, the said dumpingoperations will not materially interfere with the continuation of theexcavating and elevating actions of the dipper E and the carrying-offoperations of the trucks will be facilitated, accordingly.

In addition to the dumping control handle 39 adjacent the operator'sstation, there may be provided control means susceptible of beingoperated from the rear of the machine by the truck driver or otherperson stationed there.

This means comprises a cable or other flexible member 53 suitablyfastened at the outer end of the valve lever 36 and extending upwardlyso as to be reeved over a pulley 54 and thence rearwardly betweenpulleys 55, see Figure 5, supported on an arm 56 fastened to thesuperstructure B. A second arm 5! is pivotally attached at 58 so as toswing in a horizontal plane to either side of the machine, orlongitudinally thereof. The arm 51 carries at its outer end'a pulley 59over which the cable 53 passes, and from which it depends so as to bereadily grasped by a truck driver, whereby a pull on the cable willactuate the valve '28 and cause the bin 22 to be tilted. In order tofacilitate the return of the valve lever 36 to its normal inactiveposition, as shown in Figure 1, in full lines, a spring 59a is provided,attached at one end to the said lever and at the other at any suitableplace such as the clamp member 60 on the pipe 35.

The bin and excavating instrumentalities are so constructed as to enabletheir attachment to some known forms of crawler shovels in a mannerapparent to those skilled in the art of dirt hauling and excavatingmachinery.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

- 1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a portablesupport, a body thereon, means for propelling the same, an excavatingdipper carried by the supporting means for operating said dipper tocrowd the same to its work in excavating, means for elevating saiddipper to discharge the contents thereof, a truckloading the absence ofthe truck or trucks from the site' bin carried by the body of themachine, and means rotatably and tiltably mounting said bin on the bodyfor discharging when tilted in a direction at angles to the direction ofmovement of the dipper in performing its excavating work;

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising an operators station, andmanual means at said operators station for operating the bin todischarge the same, for rotating the bin to dischage the same indifferent directions and for operating the dipper.

3. In an excavating and loading machine of the class described, incombination, a portable support, a body mounted thereon, an excavatingdipper mounted on the body, operating means for effecting excavatingaction of the dipper, means for elevating the dipper to discharge itscontents, a bin carried by the body and arranged to receive the contentsof the dipper when discharged, means for rotating the bin to assumedifferent discharging positions, and means for effecting dumping actionof the bin to discharge materials received therein from the dipper.

- 4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the means for rotatingthe bin comprises a turntable mounted upon the body and mechanism forrotating the turntable to shift the bin to different positions fordischarge thereof indifferent directions.

5. In an excavating and loading machine of the class described, incombination, a portable support, means for propelling the same, anexcavating dipper carried by said support, comprising a front excavatingportion and an open rear discharge portion, means for elevating thedipper to a discharge position wherein its rear discharge portion iseffective for discharging, a bin carried by said portable support toreceive materials discharged from the excavating dipper, means forturning the bin in to different positions longitudinally and angularlyin relation to the portable support, and means for causing dumpingaction of the bin in any of its adjusted positions. I

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the turning means for thebin comprises a turntable rotatively mounted upon the support, andmechanism for driving the turntable in a rotative manner to cause thebin to assume different Dositions for dumping.

RAYNIOND A. BECKVI' 1TH.

